There are a variety of devices for use in drying lettuce and other similar foods for making salad. In general, such devices tend to include a strainer basket which nests within a larger bowl. A lid encloses the basket within the bowl, and a pull-cord or other mechanism causes the basket to spin within the bowl in order to impart a centrifugal force and dry the lettuce. The pull-cord, however, can be difficult or awkward to use in many cases. Other salad spinners employ a ratchet or a pump mechanism to facilitate spinning, but each of the prior versions suffers from a variety of drawbacks.